ARB 50qt or Dometic 50qt?
- Thread starter prerunner221
- Start date
prerunner221
Adventurer
I will do. So far very please. Seems to be holding the temperature very well and doesn't draw very much current. I've just been keeping it on the last few days to see how long it takes to turn off and it hasn't yet. The longest it's sat is about 15 hours without the truck being turned on and the fridge didn't turn off, and the truck battery didn't seem phased when cranking. I just have it full of water bottles right now, and it's working great. It's supposed to really warm up this week, and we'll be traveling all over creation, so I'll let you know how it goes.
e60ral
2016 4Runner Trail w/KDSS
Is that your only battery, standard or deep cycle? The CFX-40 started running down my factory group 24 battery in my 4Runner after a few months, even with cool temps it started to be common for the fridge to be off in the morning because of the low voltage protect (set at 11.8V). I just replaced that battery with a 31m dual purpose deep cycle and so far no issues, i also added a NOCO on board charger to occasionally top off and so far it barely even drops my battery voltage overnight.
If you are running off a regular battery I recommend upgrading at some point if you use your fridge daily like I do
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prerunner221
Adventurer
Yes, the 50 Qt. I had a 50Qt cooler and really needed more capacity. Half the cooler was taken by ice, that won't be a problem with the fridge.
prerunner221
Adventurer
Right now it's running off the factory battery. I replaced the battery a few years ago after purchasing the truck before I went silly with the build. My next battery will be a deep cycle of some sort, maybe two. I honestly haven't looked much into it. So far this set up seems to be working just fine. We'll see how long the current set up lasts.
prerunner221
Adventurer
With the pricing being so close between the two I would just do the 50. If you have a 65 cooler then you definitely have the room. My fridge has a smaller footprint than my 50QT Canyon Cooler. I was trying to decide size for a while as well, but decided to just get the biggest one that fits into the space I have reserved for it. The fridge cost an extra $30.00 I think, but the ability to carry extra food is worth it. With the larger fridge the worst that happens is when I get home I just transfer the extra food from one fridge to another. With the smaller fridge you may find yourself needing just a little more room which meens a trip to the grocery store, which might take you way out of the way of your trip.
Se7en62
Adventure Seeker
How do y'all compare the two, considering their warranties? I'm comparing the SnoMaster Classic 60qt Dual-Zone ($1,000) to the Dometic CFX-65DZ ($680). The SnoMaster comes with a 5-Year Warranty and has a long-standing proven track record under the African sun. The Dometic seems to have a 1-year limited warranty, but they also have a long-standing track record from being the leader in RV refrigeration.
The SnoMaster comes with a travel bag, remote monitor, wiring kit, etc. The Dometic would require the purchase of the travel bag at ~$65, which makes them even closer in price. - About $250 at retail.
The SnoMaster comes with a travel bag, remote monitor, wiring kit, etc. The Dometic would require the purchase of the travel bag at ~$65, which makes them even closer in price. - About $250 at retail.
No, the width of the bar on a Dometic is narrower. Easy solution though if you want to use the ARB tie down brackets is to cut the bracket in the middle and GTAW weld back together so that MAX width is 140mm. Done.
prerunner221
Adventurer
I appreciate the feedback on the mounts. I ended up buying universal cam straps and put 2 on each side. They hold it down just fine.
So far the fridge has been great. The wife wasn't initially impressed with me buying a $650 fridge after buying a $300 cooler last year. We spent a day at the beach, and then another at an outdoor car show. Both days it was in the 90's. We had a case of water in there and all of our food. Nothing got wet and everything stayed nice a cold. She's sold now.
I tested the battery a little bit too much though. I put the fridge auto-off on the lowest setting and left it running with the truck for a few days, just starting it every day to see if it would start, but not driving. Turns out I can leave it for a couple days running without a problem, but 2 1/2 or 3 days was a bit much. Had to jump the battery and now I need to replace it. Battery is under warranty so it's not a big deal, but its a hard start until the new ones go in.
Overall, I'm sold. I should have dropped the money a long time ago.
So far the fridge has been great. The wife wasn't initially impressed with me buying a $650 fridge after buying a $300 cooler last year. We spent a day at the beach, and then another at an outdoor car show. Both days it was in the 90's. We had a case of water in there and all of our food. Nothing got wet and everything stayed nice a cold. She's sold now.
I tested the battery a little bit too much though. I put the fridge auto-off on the lowest setting and left it running with the truck for a few days, just starting it every day to see if it would start, but not driving. Turns out I can leave it for a couple days running without a problem, but 2 1/2 or 3 days was a bit much. Had to jump the battery and now I need to replace it. Battery is under warranty so it's not a big deal, but its a hard start until the new ones go in.
Overall, I'm sold. I should have dropped the money a long time ago.
ADVSubaru
Observer
Its already been stated before me, but Dometic makes the ARB fridge freezer to ARB's specifications. I really don't think you could go wrong either way but I went with an ARB 50QT in my build as we've had great luck with them in the store and they had matching accessories that I wanted: fridge slide, transit bag, tie down, and remote monitor. I also really dig the design of it and its performance is fairly good (also stated above). I am also a bit of an ARB fanboy 
As for what size, trust me when I say this - get the bigger one you want (if room allows).
As for what size, trust me when I say this - get the bigger one you want (if room allows).
